Mercer Family Ties
by Adiemus1
Summary: [FOUR BROTHERS]The story of Four Brothers from the veiw point of Lily Hastings, the Nanny to Jerry's daughters. WIP
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Four Brothers characters or the rights to that movie---I would be on my yacht in the Caribbean if I did---I only own Lily.

AN: Sorry if the tenses are screwed up, I switched half way through and may have messed it up a little. Also, I'm not loving the current title of my story, so any suggestions are VERY welcome. Please review.

Summary: The story of FOUR BROTHERS told from the viewpoint of Lily, the Nanny to Jerry's kids.

* * *

For the second time this year a coffin stood before me. For the second time this year, I was doing my best not to cry. For the second time this year, I was failing said effort. The girls were doing better than I had anticipated. For a while there was a heated debate between Jerry and Camille as to whether or not the girls would even attend the funeral at all, but here they were, sitting on either side of me, solemn and stern-looking but free of tears and emotional outbursts. Jerry and Camille were in front of us, Camille holding onto Jerry in a lovely display of wifely affection.

I looked to the right, and spied Jerry's older brother. I truly thought Jerry was joking when he showed me a picture of his family, but no, they're brothers. Bobby was shorter than I imagined he would be, but what he lacked in height he compensated for in ruggedness, toughness, and an overall badass attitude. On the other hand, Jack was exactly how I pictured him: tall, lanky, virile—the epitome of the stereotypical starving New York artist. The third brother (I believe his name is Angel) was yet to be seen, and I hoped he showed. How could you miss your own mother's funeral? Especially after how it happened---murdered in a drugstore. My God, the woman only went out to buy a Thanksgiving turkey. A turkey that would have been eaten by Jerry, Camille, the girls and I………she died because of a stupid turkey.

Fresh tears brimmed in my eyes, and Amelia climbed into my lap to brush away the tears. I tried to smile, but I couldn't, so I hugged her instead. Compared to her sister, Amelia was more nurturing, but Daniela was more mellow and relaxing. Needless to say, they could also be quite a handful, but then again most children are. I've been their Nanny for six months now, ever since school let out. My grandma was a friend of Evelyn Mercer, who just happened to have two young granddaughters whose parents both worked full time and were in need of a Nanny. I showed up on their doorstep a week later and never looked back.

Daniela pinched my arm, "Its over, Lily, everybody's leaving."

I took a look around and discovered the majority of people had already left. The priest was conversing with Camille, and Jerry and his brothers were huddled in a circle, talking and rubbing their arms, trying to keep warm. _My God, if the tragedy of this situation doesn't drive you home, the cold will_. It had been below freezing for a while, and being from San Francisco I was taking it worse than anybody there. Jack turned around and smiled as he waved to the girls. They didn't seem to know who he was, so I smiled at him and shrugged in a "kids, what can you do?" kind of way. He grinned, nodded, and turned back to his brothers. By now Camille had walked over towards us and we started to take the girls to the car. "We're leaving Jer, you comin' or not?" she yelled over her shoulder.

"In a minute, baby," he replied, always cool, always calm. Jerry walked after us a second later, while Bobby and Jack got into a beat up old car and followed us home. They've never been to Jerry and Camille's place, I guess.

Ten minutes later we arrived back at the house and I had a strong urge to go upstairs and collapse on my bed. Fortunately, Camille saw my dire expression.

"Why don't you take a quick break?" she suggested kindly, "the girls have to meet their uncles." She muttered the last part with just a hint of disdain. I didn't blame her; I wouldn't want my kids to hang out with criminals, family or not. Still, they didn't look too edgy. Jack and Bobby were squatting on the ground, shaking hands with the girls and petting the dog. There was a definite gentleness to their eyes when they were around family. Even Bobby laughed.

Suddenly the girls were gone and two cops were standing in their place. I didn't know why, but I wanted to leave. I jogged up the stairs to my room and lay down on the bed, trying to get comfortable but knowing all the while that it was useless, since at any given moment the girls would come charging up the stairs.

I was right. Three minutes later a small warm body jumped on top of me, while someone else's arm tugged at my sleeve.

"Wake up, Lily, its time to eat. There's a bufftay downstairs."

"_Buffet_, Amelia. Let me change and I'll join you in a minute." I needed to get out of my clothes—my dreary, solemn, black clothes. I searched my closet—not much to choose from really. I mean I certainly couldn't go out there in bright pink or blue or anything like that. I settled for a milk chocolate brown cardigan, a few shades lighter than my hair color.

I walked into the bathroom and immediately spied the broken white scale. It struck me as funny that I no longer knew how much I weighed, though I'm pretty sure I'm a dress size eight. Opening the cabinet over the sink only resulted in a sigh. Dear God, what I wouldn't give for a couple of aspirin right now.

"Hey, you must be Lily" a deep voice from behind me says. I turned and found myself face to face with Jack. I smiled and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you. You're Jack, right?"

"Yeah."

I realized I hadn't said anything about his mother yet, but I didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry for your loss" "If you ever need to talk…." "It's okay to cry" No, none of these will do. So I ignored it. The way I saw it, he's sick of talking to people like that. I would be different. I would make him forget if only for one moment.

"How do you like the girls?"

He grinned. "They're cute kids. Hope they don't have too much of their dad in them."

"Amelia's more like Jerry than Daniela is," I told him.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Bobby emerged from the kitchen, "Hey, Bobby Mercer," he said loudly and stuck out his hand.

"Lily Hastings."

"Is Cracker Jack buggin' you? You'll have to forgive him, he's never talked to a woman before."

I couldn't help but smirk, "Let me guess, you're the youngest?"

Jack waved his hand as if its nothing, "They love me, they just don't know it."

Bobby rolled his eyes as he walked away, "I'll see you ladies later, I'm getting' some grub. Yo Camille, where's the caviar?" She promptly smacked him with a dishtowel, earning a few laughs from Jerry.

"So where's your other brother?" I asked him.

He chuckled, "The Jarhead? I don't know, his flight probably got delayed," he peered out the window---the weather had significantly changed over past fifteen minutes. "Snowing again," he mused.

"Is it really?" I asked with almost too much enthusiasm. He looked amused. "Hey, gimmie a break, I'm from San Francisco, I'm still not used to it."

"Winter virgin," he muttered. I just laughed, since I wasn't sure of whether I was being teased or not.

"Lily, eat with us! You too Uncle Jack!" yelled Daniela from across the room.

"Uncle Jacks gotta go, baby, you'll see him later," Bobby yelled back as he made his way towards us. "Come on Tinkerbell, we need to get home. Nice meeting ya Lily. Cracker Jack, kiss your girlfriend goodbye."

Jack rolled his eyes, "Don't worry, you'll get used to him."

Bobby smirked and called over his shoulder, "Yeah, you'll love me."

Jack said his goodbyes and followed Bobby out the door. I was still staring after him when Camille tapped me on the shoulder. "He's cute, huh?"

I blushed and shrugged, "I guess. If you like that look." I was about to walk away when she grasped my arm, holding me back. "Look, what you do outside this house is your business, but be careful. Jack's a nice guy but he's still a Mercer, and all the Mercer men have pasts."

_Mercer men have pasts_. I brushed it off for now, but something told me their past wasn't too far behind them.


	2. Author's Note

Zoe: My first reviewer! And don't worry, Jack is my favorite, so there will be lots of him!

Ephona: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

ChaiGirl: You think I'm a talented writer? Haha, flattery is the key, I'm going to start writing right now!

Pumpkinhead0402: I love your username---I was actually planning on using it as a nickname for Lily at first (I had once envisioned her as a redhead, but I thought that was too Harry Potter).

darkdestiney2000: Thanks, and yes, but I don't know how soon that will happen.

Lovebuggy: Bobby and Jack were perfect? Thank God, I was having such a hard time trying to keep them in character. And I'm not planning on killing Jack right now, but we'll see.

nighttime writer: Thank you! I'm working on it!

Jessica: I based my disdain that Camille has for Bobby on that one comment she made in the movie during the wake. I got the impression that she was afraid Bobby would bring back the darker side that Jerry had in his youth. I might be wrong, but oh well, its just fiction. And I'm glad you enjoyed the "sarcastic/funny attitude" since I find it so much fun to write.

The Mercer Sister: Grinning like an idiot? I do that too, especially when I read reviews…hell, I'm grinning like an idiot right now. It's freaking my brother out; he's looking at me like I'm crazy…….thanks for the review.

A/N: Does "Sugar, We're Going Down" by Fall Out Boy remind anyone else of Jack? A picture of him pops into my head whenever I hear that song.

* * *

Okay, onto the important stuff. I was sitting at my computer ready to write the next chapter of this fic, when I realized that I could not for the life of me remember the timeline for the movie. I have this so far: There's the funeral, the wake at Jerry's, going home and finding Angel, Bobby crying in the bathroom and teasing Jack and Angel (about Sofi) and then Sofi and Angel running in the snow in their underwear. And now I'm stuck. Where does Thanksgiving fit into all of this (and by the way, why didn't Jerry spend Thanksgiving with his wife and kids?)? Can anyone help me? Please? I can't really update 'till you do! Thanks. 

Oh, and by the way, I do feel EXTREMELY rotten for teasing you all with this. I mean, I would be pissed to find that what I thought would be a chapter was actually just a desperate cry for help from a girl who can't remember the freakin' plot line. So, sorry. And to compensate, I have here for you two one-liners I plan to use randomly in future chapters. Tell me if you like them, if not I'll trash them. (By the way, I have WAY better ones, but I feel that if I tell you them now, they won't be as funny later).

Bobby: Hey La Vida Loca, the next time you give your clothes away, why don't you just stay in them?

(about Sofi)

Angel: I think she's hot.

Bobby: I think she has no reflection.

(Okay, my friend didn't understand this last one---it means Bobby thinks Sofi is a vampire---yeah, I know, not as funny when you have to explain it………)

Also, I'll try to update soon, but school starts tomorrow, so we'll see. If I get many reviews helping me, I might stay up late tonight and try to polish chapter 2 off.


	3. Thanksgiving

Nighttime writer: Thank you so much, I was able to write this chapter because of you!

Sparkl0413: Thanks for waiting!

darkdestiney2000: Thanks, and I'm glad you liked the quotes. Actually, school wasn't too bad. It's going to get worse though, I can feel it.

A/N: Okay, I know Camille and the kids didn't have Thanksgiving dinner with the guys, but I felt bad for them (alone on a holiday? Bad Jerry, bad!) and I needed to further the storyline with Lily, so I'm going to kill two birds with one stone (what an awful phrase, why did use it and who invented it?). Random outburst: Haha, this is 5 freacking pages!­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

Thanksgiving was going to be a relatively somber experience, or at least that's what I predicted. The weather outside was cold and gray, perfectly matching the personality and looks of the man Camille and I bought the turkey from. We dropped it off at the Mercer's………the other Mercers, that is. I still didn't know what to call it, for so long it's been "Evelyn's" or "Grandma Eva's." I didn't even know whom she left it to. Bobby? Angel? Jack? All three of them? Anyways, we left it there, planning to be back in time to help cook it. Roast it? Good grief, what do you do with a Turkey anyway? I'm certainly no expert when it comes to cooking. Every once in a while I'd get the urge be Miss Betty Homemaker and I'd attempt to cook; it only resulted in an ugly mess and the occasional small fire. Fretting was unnecessary, however, since Camille is a great cook. She can make it all, everything from Mac & Cheese to Cordon Bleu, and she is highly praised and I rightfully put on her on a pedestal because of it. She's that good.

But when the clock struck four and I realized that Camille wasn't home, I started to worry. Oh, not about her---I was sure she'd be fine, she just went shopping, that's all---I was worried about our Thanksgiving dinner. And before you knock me, I've got a reason: this day needed to be perfect. It was the first holiday since Evelyn passed away, and I was determined to make it spectacular, for the kids, for the Mercers, for me, who missed Evelyn as much as her family did. Yes, it would be perfect. The turkey would be moist and flavorful, the salad would be crisp and fresh, and the mashed potatoes would be mushy but not overly so. The stuffing would be praised for years to come and the gravy would be so good it would immediately be---the clock struck four thirty and there was no sign of Camille.

"Where's Mommy?" asked Amelia, as if reading my mind. I asked her to hand me the phone, but just before I pressed the "talk" button, it rang, scaring me half to death.

It was Camille. "Lily?" she asked, and I could hear her strain through the static, "It's Camille. Listen, I'm stuck in traffic. Are the girls dressed and ready to go?"

I looked them over; Amelia is ready except for her hair, which is a royal mess, and Daniela needs shoes. "Nearly," I told her.

"Great, can you get them over to Ev…can you get them over there now? Try to help one of the boys with the bird?"

_Good God woman, do you need a brain transplant as well? Do you want me to achieve world peace too? Oh! I know! I shall dig up Jimmy Hoffa's body!_ But I didn't say any of that.

"I'll do my best."

"Thanks, I'll be over ASAP." She hung up, and I felt like throwing up. "Amelia, get your brush and put your jacket on and meet me by the door. Daniela, find your shoes."

I ran upstairs to change, cursing aloud (well, why not, the girls were downstairs), and desperately wishing I had gotten dressed earlier. The original plan was for Camille to help me find something to wear since I didn't really know what was appropriate. She assured me that Jerry and Angel would dress somewhat nicely, but Bobby would be in sweats and that Jack would be, as she put it, "punked out." However, Camille and I decided that Evelyn would have wanted us (and the girls) to wear something pretty, and so we would figure it out when she got home. But she wasn't here; she was stuck in traffic. I didn't think she would appreciate it if I tried a dozen different outfits and described them to her over the phone. I eventually settled on a green cardigan, denim skirt, and dark brown boots. After throwing them on, I dragged the girls to the car—then it suddenly struck me that Camille had the car—yes, the clarity of seeing an empty garage is amazing.

"Jerry, I have no car!" I yelled into the phone one minute later.

"Calm down," he muttered, sounding somewhat out of breath. I could hear Bobby yelling in the background, something about Nitro having defeaed Midnight. "I'll send Bobby over with the car."

"The hell I will!" I heard Bobby say. "They're three motherfucking blocks away!"

I cringed and was grateful I hadn't used the speakerphone. "Don't worry, Lily, he'll be there just as soon as we get that stick out of his ass."

"How long will that take?"

He paused, "Depends on how long the stick it is."

Ten minutes later we were in the car with Bobby (decked out in sweats, as Camille predicted), and I was surprised at how sweet he was around the girls. _This guy needs kids desperately_, I thought. Only problem was the kids might not need him.

"Where's the poochie?" He asked Amelia with a raised eyebrow.

I wondered what he would say if I told him the dog was dead---she wasn't, of course, but I would have loved to see his reaction. I like messing with people sometimes. Plus I really missed my older brother, and Bobby seemed like a fine substitute—he certainly proved that at the wake. _Tinkerbell. Kiss your girlfriend goodbye._

"She's at home. Sleeping."

"That's nice."

_Forever, sleeping forever. Taking a LONG vacation. The ultimate vacation_. I was playing out the scene in my head when he turned and looked at me. "So, Jerry tells me you're gonna be a teacher." It was statement, not a question, which I rarely heard. 

"Yeah. Hopefully I'll be teaching second or third grade."

He snorted. "Corrupting them while they're young."

I shrugged, "Why not? Saves time."

He threw his head back and laughed. "I like you, kid, you've got spunk."

I just smiled. Oh yeah, I had a new big brother in the making.

"How 'bout me, Uncle Bobby?" Daniela inquired with a touch of attitude in her voice, "Do I have spunk?"

"Yes ma'am, you do! You too, Amelia."

But Daniela shook her head, "Not-uh. She's too little to have spunk."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

I groaned and rubbed my temples. My mind flashbacked to the hundreds of family road trips we took as kids. _Are we there yet?

* * *

_

"Daddy!" Jerry laughed as the girls bolted into the house and jumped into his arms.

"Hey, how've my favorite girls been?" He kissed them, took their hands, and then walked them over to a tall handsome man I had never seen before.

"Daniela, Amelia, this is your Uncle Angel."

"I told you we had a black uncle," muttered Daniela to Amelia. I could hear Jack laughing from inside the kitchen.

I introduced myself to Angel and made my way over to Jerry. "Camille's running late," I told him. "I don't know what we're going to do about dinner."

"Got it covered," shouted Jack. Bewildered, I entered the kitchen to find him basting the Turkey, one hand covered in a red potholder.

My eyes bulged in amazement. "Christ, you can cook?"

He laughed and nodded, "But I don't sew."

"Don't see why he doesn't," mused Bobby as he grabbed a beer out of the fridge. "He's got such nimble little fingers."

Jack dutifully ignored him, and I envied his patience. Sure, it was amusing to hear Bobby tease him all the time, but I wasn't the one being constantly mocked.

"Are you on duty, or can you have a beer?" Jack asked me.

"Are you going to card me?"

"No."

"Then I'd love one. But don't let me have more than two."

Bobby laughed, "You can't get drunk on two, Mary."

Jack and I must have looked confused.

"Mary? You know, Mary Poppins?"

"Oh," we said in unison.

He rolled his eyes and walked out to the living room. "Damn kids these days don't get any pop culture references………."

Jack glanced over at me with a "feel bad for me; he's MY brother" kind of face, and we burst out laughing. "I told you to ignore him, right?"

"Yeah, easier said than done."

* * *

Okay, sorry, I know that was an awkward way to end the chapter, but I couldn't help it. Ugh, my summer officially ended. Oh well, I got out of school early today (I only have two periods today—but they're each 90 min long—which means more writing time)! And don't worry, there will be waaaaaaaay more Jack next chapter. And funny lines. And "romantic tension" as one of my reviewers put it. Please review! The more I get, the more enthusiastic I get and which results in a better quality chapter for you. It's the cycle of truly. 


	4. Ice Skating

pumpkinhead0402: Thank you! And don't worry, the story will be told from Lily's POV and then I'm going to add on to the movie. If she doesn't see, we don't see it. Besides, I don't have enough patience to track down all the line from the movie.

Lovebuggy: Haha, repeat yourself all you want, I love hearing it! Seriously though, thanks a lot. They are cute aren't they?

The Collision of Your Kiss: Two reviews, thank you! Um, I'm pretty sure I gave her some background. Her name is Lily Hastings, she's from San Francisco, she has a grandmother and an older brother, she's a nanny, she wants to be a teacher…okay, maybe not a lot, but there's some! I tend to explain some characters gradually, and she's one of them. You'll find out more as the story goes on. Thanks for the reviews!

Zoe: "LONG LIVE JACKIE MERCER!"---Yeah, that's my mantra. I don't think I have the heart to kill him, but we'll see. Thank you for reviewing.

darkdestiney2000: Haha, me too. And I don't think anyone over the age of six likes Mary Poppins. She was always kind of prissy, wasn't she? "Jane, Michal, don't slouch," etc, etc.

angelofdeadlydarkness0010: While I don't think that's going to happen, I may write a new character for Bobby………Maybe a relative/friend of Lily, maybe a complete stranger.

* * *

"Tinkerbell, I'm open!" Bobby yelled across the ice. It was an hour after we'd had dinner and everyone decided to play some hockey. I must admit, I was highly hesitant at first, but I knew I would be teased mercilessly if I didn't try---so I did. And to my surprise, I wasn't half bad. I guess all those summers of rollerblading down Lombard Street weren't a total waste of time.

We split up into two groups: Jack, Bobby, Camille, Amelia were on one team while Angel, Jerry, Daniel, and I made up the other. But half way through Camille started to feel tired and some Hispanic woman that I had never seen before showed up and took her place. Jack groaned when he saw her, and Bobby crossed himself.

"Hey, I'm Sofi," she told me. I introduced myself and then skated over to Bobby and Jack—according to Angel, I had been traded in. Sofi whizzed by, giving me an apologetic look. I honestly couldn't care less.

"She's the devil, Lily. Don't look in her eyes; she might steal your soul," Bobby whispered.

"You don't like her?" I asked, surprised. She didn't seem that bad.

"He hates her," Jack informed me, "And the feeling's mutual," he added after a stern look from Bobby.

"She don't hate me," muttered Bobby.

But Jack shook his head and smirked, "She hates you, Bobby. She hates you from the bottom of your hooves to the top of your pitchfork"

I started to laugh, but one "AHEM!" from Bobby quickly shut me up. Jack glided away from us, and got control of the puck. He gracefully skated towards Jerry--who was serving as goalie--and hit the puck in. I was equally proud and jealous.

"You go, girl!" I heard Bobby yell. I skated over to Jack and was about to give him a hi-five when Bobby stuck his hockey stick in front of me, causing me to fall into Jack. We tumbled down onto the ice, and my eyes were suddenly inches away from his. They were so beautiful, like the ocean.

I don't know how long it was before I snapped out of it. I turned to glare at Bobby, who was smirking and avoiding eye contact with me at that moment.

"Sorry Jack, guess I'm not too good at this skating thing."

"Don't worry about it," he said, his voicehusky. "I'm gonna get some hot chocolat, anyone want some?"

Angel and Sofi nodded, while Bobby and I passed. As soon as Jack left the rink I smacked Bobby on the head as hard as I could.

"You did that on purpose, you dickhead!"

"Language, Mary! We got kids here for fuck's sake!"

I was fuming by now, "Shut up, Bobby, why the hell did you do that? Do you know how embarrassing that was? That shit only happens in movies! It was too cheesy for words!"

"Aw quit crying, he liked it."

"What?"

"You were staring at him, right?" he asked. I nodded. "Well, he was staring back, sweetheart. He could off pushed you off and gotten up but he didn't. Think about that."

I paused. Bobby had a point. "You still shouldn't have done that."

He rolled his eyes, and I could tell I was starting to annoy him. "Fine, Ma, I won't do it anymore."

The words came out of his mouth before he realized what he was saying. Ma. He didn't have a mother anymore. We both just stood there, afraid to say anything. I looked around, Jerry and Camille were skating with the girls on the far side of the rink and Angel and Sofi had left shortly after Jack did, to do God knows what. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Jack walking towards us, hot chocolate in hand.

"He's coming back," I murmured. Bobby nodded, clearly shaken. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Forget it. I get the feeling you meant well," I replied with a small smile. He glanced at me and returned the smile.

"Where'd everybody go?" Jack hollered a second later. "I paid for three of these."

"Paid?" questioned Bobby with his eyebrows raised, "I thought you got these free for your, uh, special services."

Jack glared at him, and I laughed out of nervousness. "I'll take one, I guess."

He handed both Bobby and I a cup. We walked back home in silence.

* * *

Sorry, it's so short, the next should be longer. Review, please, they make me happy! 


	5. BabysittingPlaying House

pumpkinhead0402: I'm glad you're glad!

darkdestiney2000: Lily certainly didn't think so.

nighttime writer: Two reviews, I feel special! Jack's special services are sexual favors….I don't know, it just seemed like Bobby would say.

Moi 2: Okay! Haha, that was easy.

The Collision of Your Kiss: Oooh, I love long reviews, they make my day! "i think school made me dumber!" Bummer! That kind of defeats the whole purpose of going to school! Anyways, I'll get around to her features in this chapter, I think. I already mentioned she had brown hair and was a dress size 8, but I think that's about it. Sorry! And yes, I know Angel was the ex-hustler, but it just seemed like a comment Bobby would make, you know? (hehe, "you know"—do you get that? I hope so, 'cuz if not that means I'm a really freaky obsessed fan girl who spends too much time on Garrett's message boards). God, he 's cute, I just want to cuddle up with him. And I get dibs on him! Seriously, wouldn't it be funny if all his fans competed for a date with him? Haha, I don't know why but I can picture us all jousting at Medieval Times or something. Okay, I'm shutting up now.

A/N: Woo hoo, my longest chapter yet! And just to warn you, this is a sweet sappy chappie, not too much humor in it. Well, not Bobby's kind of humor anyway. Enjoy, and please review. I've had over 450 hits and only 25 reviews!

* * *

I am one of those fortunate women who happen to like their job. But every once in a while I just can't take it.

"Go to bed, Dani! Don't set a bad example for your sister."

For the third time tonight I was trying to get her to go to bed……….and for the third time tonight I was fighting a battle I was sure to lose. I know, I know, I said she was the mellow one………well, everybody acts out of character once in a while.

"No! I want Mommy to tuck me in!" She was currently jumping on her bed, her feet masked by white cotton socks bobbing up and down. I rubbed my head and left the room. Maybe if I ignored her she would stop. I walked down the hall to Amelia's room, hoping to find her asleep. Sure enough, she was snuggled under the covers, thumb in her mouth, her little tummy rising up and down with each breath she took. Watching her like that reminded me of my yearning to someday have children of my own.

Daniela screamed and I heard something hit the wall---_that_ reminded me of my yearning to never have children. Another glass object shattered. Amelia woke up and started to cry. That's it.

I ran down the stairs and grabbed the phone. I dialed Evelyn's house, and almost cried out of happiness when someone picked up.

"Jerry?"

"No, this is Jack………Lily?"

_Oh, God. Not Jack. Not after what just happened yesterday_. But I pushed it out of my mind. I was too desperate to be picky. "Yeah, listen, is Jerry there? Or Camille? Or someone with a tranquilizer?"

"No they went out to dinner, and I think they might have left their cell phones here---is there something wrong?"

_Dear God, why?_

My voice was horse and rapid, "Daniela's throwing a temper tantrum and she's already broken a countless amount of stuff, and she just woke Amelia up, and now they're both crying and I'm going crazy---"

"Do you ever sing them to sleep?"

"Only when they've been bad, but I don't think they'll put up with it tonight."

He paused, as if trying not to laugh. "I'll be right over, maybe we can take them together."

"Thanks……" Daniela's stuffed polar bear hit my head, "…….And hurry!"

The doorbell rang five minutes later. "Okay, girls, you're in big trouble now. Uncle Jack's here, and he's not happy!"

They just stared at me, unnerved. I sighed heavily and opened the front door. A gust of wind nearly blew me off my feet as Jack entered the house.

"Thank you so much, Jack, I really owe you one."

"Don't worry about it," he told me while taking off his scarf and leather jacket. "So, what's the game plan?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I've done everything except give them sleeping pills."

"Read to them?"

"Yeah."

"Threaten them?"

"Yeah."

"Beaten them?"

I stared at him, shocked. "Jack Mercer—"

His laughter cut me off. "I was just kidding, Lily. But it's good to know where you stand on that subject, I'll be sure to let Jerry know."

Yet another stuffed animal came down from the stair, hitting Jack in the face.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun………"

* * *

_**Ten Minutes Later……….**_

"Put me down!" Daniela was kicking and screaming as Jack threw her over his shoulder and carried her up the stairs. He was doing fairly well for someone who's never been around kids.

I, on the other hand, was having a harder time. It was absolutely impossible for Amelia to fall asleep with Daniela throwing a fit, so she ended up trading in her bed for the couch downstairs. I was reading to her when Jack came downstairs—he didn't make his presence known right away, but I could see him watching us through the reflection on the window. It made me self-conscious.

"And then the little bunny hopped around and said—" I peered down at Amelia, only to find her asleep "—and thank God you finally dozed off……….I can see you, you know."

Jack jumped from his post on the bottom of the stairs. I turned around to face him.

"I didn't mean to freak you out, I just didn't want to interrupt. Your voice is kind of……..I dunno, soothing," he stuttered.

I smiled in spite of myself, and, unable to think of any witty reply, remained silent.

"Bobby read to me when I was little," he said, taking the book out of my hands and fingering the edges.

"What did he read?"

He smirked. "Playboy."

I burst out laughing at the sight of Jack as a little boy, curled up in bed with Bobby sitting nearby "reading" a Playboy.

"What were you like as kid?"

He shrugged, "Quiet, sullen, blonde shaggy hair, short, lots of freckles."

"Oh, me too, I had freckles all over my face."

He stepped closer to get a better look. "You hardly have any now," he murmured. His voice had the same husky sound that I heard on the ice yesterday.

"They usually fade in the winter." I whispered.

He suddenly stepped back, and I couldn't help but blush. "I was pretty short too," I went on quickly, and tried to hide the quiver in my voice, "And then in the eighth grade I shot up like a weed and I've been this height ever since. About 5'6, I think."

"Tell me more."

I fumbled with my fingers. _Why is it that you can't remember a thing about yourself when someone wants to know about you? Or was just Jack?_ "Well, I went through a very awkward phase during high school—chubby, acne, braces, bad hair styles, even worse fashion sense. Then one summer I visited my aunt—a very modern, chic woman—and one night we stayed up all night talking and I ended up pouring out my heart and soul to her and the next day she started a little…..I dunno, transformation."

Jack sat on the armrest so that we were almost eye-to-eye. He was watching me closely, and I could tell he was really listening. At first it unnerved me—I tend to get fidgety upon close examination—but after a while it became comforting, like he knew this was difficult for me and was cheering me on.

"So she put me on this diet, we started exercising together, she took me to a dermatologist, and showed me what hairstyles worked and what clothes would be the most flattering……..I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"No—are you're eyes always this blue? I thought they were green yesterday on the ice."

"They change sometimes," I chocked out. _Ugh, not the ice, too embarrassing…_

"Mood eyes," he mused.

"Something like that………"

He was so close. He was so beautiful. Inches away. Time stopped.

"Uncle Jack! Read me a story!" Daniela shrieked from the stairs.

_I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I HATE YOU._

He backed away. "Yeah, go get a book."

"I can't reach it."

He looked at me and sighed, then followed her up the stairs. As soon as he left the room I fell into the nearest armchair. I don't know how long I sat there, but eventually I moved onto the couch next to Amelia, and covered her with another blanket. Winters were so cold here, I wondered if I would ever get used to them.

_Winter virgin. Jack. Ice._

"Is Daniela in trouble?"

I jumped. Amelia was awake and looking at me with great interest.

"For waking you up?"

"I was awake. You and Uncle Jack were staring at each other for a long time."

I felt my cheeks redden. "We were?"

"Yes, silly." She paused, "Do I get to call you 'Aunt Lily' when you marry Uncle Jack?"

"Uh—"

Her brown eyes sparkled, and her whole face was bright and shining, "And you'll have babies and I can take care of them like you take care of me!"

"Amelia, honey, no one's getting married."

Her face fell. "But I want to be a flower girl."

I smiled and put her on my lap, "You will, sweetie, I promise. But I don't know who I'll marry yet, okay?"

She nodded reluctantly and laid her head on my shoulder. Less than a minute later Jack and Daniela entered carrying a book and joined us on the couch. Jack sat next to me with Daniel on his lap. He started to read, and when I closed my eyes the most surreal feeling came over me. I was married to Jack. We were cuddled together on our couch reading to our children.

His deep voice was pleasant reminder way to drag me away from my daydream. "I do not like Green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam I am!" Hardly romantic poetry, but I didn't care.

I don't remember what time the girls fell asleep, nor do I remember when Jack or I did either. All I remember is that I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face.

_Do I get to call you 'Aunt Lily' when you marry Uncle Jack?_


	6. Sleepover

Zoe: Haha, you didn't have to wait long. I submitted a new chapter the moment you reviewed…literally. Thanks for the review. LONG LIVE JACK MERCER!

babe7878: Thanks for the review!

Morgaine: My God, I've converted you! No seriously, I'm so glad you took the time to read my story and tell me you liked it. I don't blame you for thinking it may be bad—I tend to read many Mary Sues, but in all my years on (about 3-4) I've only found a small handful that are actually good. I'm trying to fix that! As for her imperfections, I really wanted to get the point across that she was just a normal girl—in the first chapter I mentioned she wore a dress size 8 (it was important to me that she wasn't a size 2 model-type). Anyways, I just loved your review (totally made my day) and just wanted to say thanks. Thank you! Also, if at any point I stray way into the path of the Mary Sues, feel free to drop me a line telling me so!

pumpkinhead0402Thanks! And yes, Jack is cute, isn't he? I rarely see a guys who can pull off cute, hot, sexy all the same time, but Garrett certainly can.

The Mercer Sister: Aww, I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, I wanted them to kiss to, but I was tired I couldn't write it……sorry! Thanks for your review.

The Collision of Your Kiss: I don't know if we could catch him; I heard he ran track. But I'm all for trying. Haha, I remind you of Dr. Seuss? "One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish!" And yes, white cotton socks…….heh, I tend to add too much detail from time to time. Yay, you got the Garrett reference! He says "for sure" a lot too, and I love that 'cuz it reminds me of Canada (in my experience, Canadians love to say "most defiantly" "for sure" and "eh"), which makes sense since he grew up near there.

ZoeinGreece: Thanks, I'm glad you think they're cute together!

darkdestiney2000: Sorry to hear you had such a bad day, but here's another chapter just in case!

Elven-Princess Ginny: First of all, I love the name Ginny! Secondly, thank you! Yeah, I'm really taking advantage of the whole "kids say the darnest things" concept.

Alexis in Wonderland: Don't worry; I'm not planning on it.

A/N: I re-read the first chapter and fixed the tense-problems (if I missed any, let me know). Wow, you guys, I got so many reviews this chapter, thank you! I really appreciate it! And to those of you who have stories that I haven't reviewed, I apologize, I've been VERY busy with school, but I'll try to drop you all a note soon! Creepy, my number of hits right now is 666!

* * *

I woke up quite early in the morning after feeling something press against my hip. I blinked until my eyesight became un-fuzzy. As I looked around I found that Jack, Daniel, Amelia, and myself were still sprawled out on the couch. I smiled to myself as I realized that my head was resting on Jack's chest and our legs were tangled up together. Daniela was clutching Jack's arm on his other side, while Amelia was using my hip as a pillow. I wanted desperately to stay in this position forever, but I knew I would be completely mortified should Jack wake up and see me this messy. My hair was mussed, my skin was oily and my breath was so hideous that I'm almost sure the mere stench of it woke me up. I slipped out of Jack and Amelia's grasp and headed towards the bathroom, where I promptly washed my face, put on a little bit of make-up, piled on the deodorant, brushed my teeth, and fixed my hair. I couldn't very well change clothes—for obvious reasons—but I didn't think Jack would noticed if I pulled on a pair of socks, so I did. As I made my way back to the living room, something outside caught my eye and took my breath away. 

_Snow._

The yard was completely covered in snow. We were snowed in………just Jack, the girls, and I. I hadn't felt this giddy since I was a kid. I suppressed a girly giggle and weaseled my way back into my spot on the couch. Jack's arm instantly wrapped itself around my neck, pulling me closer to him. I burrowed my head under his chin and savored the moment.

* * *

"Wake up, sleepyhead." I groaned and opened my eyes. After having woken up at five in the morning I eventually went back to sleep around six. I glanced at the clock over the mantle and discovered that it was three minutes after eight. 

"Get up, Lily." Amelia was standing over me, poking at me with her little fingers. Daniela was sitting on her stool by the counter, eating eggs, pancakes and sausages.

"It's a Saturday," I mumbled, not quite alert yet.

But a deep voice brought me to my senses. "Breakfast!" My eyes popped open and I nearly fell off the couch.

"You okay?" Jack asked me.

"Uh……..yeah. I'm just kind of………disoriented in the morning."

He had cute little bags under his eyes. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Scrambled."

"Good, 'cause that's the only way I can make them," he informed me, looking rather pleased. "Bacon or sausage?"

"Bacon, please."

I looked around, "Oh yeah, we're snowed in."

"You knew?" he asked.

Oh no. Busted. "I……….I heard you guys talking earlier this morning. But then I decided to ignore you and go back to sleep."

"Oh." Jack looked as though he wanted to say more, but didn't know quite what he wanted to say. He didn't need to though, since the phone rang a second later.

I answered it. "Hello?"

"Lily? Hey, it's Bobby. Listen, is Jack there?"

"Yep, he's even making breakfast." I saw Jack smile out the corner of my eye.

"Well, put me on speakerphone, I need to talk to him too."

I sighed, "Fine, but it keep it G-rated, the girls are here." I pressed the speakerphone button and grabbed a plate. "You're on, Bobby!"

"Thanks," he cleared his throat, "So Jerry and Camille are here, and they wanted me to call you guys and see how you were doing."

"Why didn't they call us themselves?" Jack wondered aloud.

Bobby paused. "I gotta keep this G-rated?"

"Point taken," I muttered. Jack smirked.

"Anyway, the roads should be cleared up by tonight, and I swear if you don't show up and rescue me from La Vida Loca soon, I'll knock your teeth out."

I rolled my eyes, "Honestly, Bobby, she doesn't sound that bad………in fact, I think she's a very nice person."

"I think she has no reflection," he muttered.

Jack started to laugh and almost dropped my bacon.

"Bye Bobby."

"See ya tonight. And bring some garlic and a crucifix if you can find 'em!"

I pressed the "off" button as I sat down next to Daniela, who was currently using the syrup to make faces on her pancakes.

"When did you guys wake up?" I asked, trying to sound casual. Jack looked at me in a way that made my stomach flop upside down. Like he had a secret that he was dying to tell me. But in the end, he just shrugged, as did the girls.

"Don't know," Amelia said, her mouth full of food.

"Close your mouth, you're not a cow," bossed Daniela, and I suddenly saw Jack's eyes soften. He looked away, and focused his attention on the snow outside. Something deep inside of me stirred, and I longed to wrap my arms around him. He had changed into Jerry's clothes, and was wearing a dark green sweatshirt that made him look………speechless. My stomach flopped once more, and I realized how long it had been since I'd actually had a crush on a guy. I hadn't dated much in High School; I only went out with two guys, and both relationships ended within a month. I was a quiet girl who had an overprotective big brother. I looked outside. I was struck by how serene everything looked covered in snow……….pure, innocent.

"Eggs are done," Jack told me and handed me my plate. We ate our breakfast in silence.

* * *

Eh...sorry that took so long. Also it may be a while since I update again...I have ACT's this week, so I'll probably be in a bad mood for a while. Oh yeah, I'm writing a sequel to this, and I've already started it, so if it takes long for this to update, remember I'm writing two stories so you won't have to wait during the sequel (I see frequent updates in your future, people)! Hey, did anyone catch the season premiere of LOST? Where the hell was Sawyer? i love him. 


	7. Kisses n' Peas

Scarlett Raven: Oops, forgot to add you in last time! Thank you so much for your review, I'm so flattered by it!

ChaiGrl: Thanks you, I'm glad it made your day better!

Mae: Hopefully he'll be on next week……..if not, there's going to be hell to pay.

Elven-Princess Ginny: Haha, yeah, they've got it bad.

Zoe: Thanks! And yeah, LOST was good! But confusing! Each time you think you've got something figured out, they throw you another curve ball.

darkdestiney2000: Thank you! Here ya go!

ZoeinGreece: Hehe, you're gonna love this chapter!

pirategurl15: Awww, I'm glad to hear it!

JCO-03: Thanks! And the ACTs weren't so bad after all.

Cynicalsarcasm: Thank you! I'm glad you told me what you liked about it, 'cuz then I can continue with it.

A/N: Sorry this took so long……..I don't want to be one of those stingy people saying "5 more reviews or I won't update" and I never will tell you that, but in all honesty, I do write more when I get a lot of reviews—they make me very happy so in return I make you happy by updating quickly. So please review, it doesn't take too much time out of your day!

* * *

After we had finished eating, Jack—quite reluctantly—did the dishes while I gave the girls their baths. Frankly, I think Jack got off easy. Amelia had just discovered the joy of splashing around and more often than not I emerged from bathroom fully clothed and soaking wet. Once they clean and dressed they went downstairs for t.v. time with Jack, who gallantly offered to watch them while took I bath of my own.

I had just sunk into the millions of bubbles when I heard the phone ring. 'Probably Bobby,' I thought. Sure enough I few minutes later Jack was knocking on the bathroom door, asking me to please hurry up.

"Bobby's suicidal!" he yelled on his way down the stairs, and I briefly wondered if I would have to explain the concept of suicide to the girls. I hoped not.

After washing my hair and shaving (quite briskly too, I hardly ever shaved in the fall/winter) I pulled on my robe and my eyes bulged as I opened the door. The hallway was freezing.

"Jack, can't you turn up the heat?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?" he asked suggestively. Woah. _Way to throw me off guard_.

"I'm serious, Jack, it's the North Pole up here!"

He chuckled and took the stairs two at a time. "You're the one who lives here, shouldn't you know how to work the heater?"

I scowled at him, which only made him smile.

"Fine, let me freeze to death."

He rolled his eyes, "You're hardly dead."

"Shame on you. Mocking a dying woman."

"Yeah, well, chivalry is dead."

"We're not talking about chivalry, we're talking about proper social conduct. And furthermore, it's not dead; it's taking a very long nap."

Jack chuckled at that. "Taking a long nap. That's what Bobby said when my dog died."

"You don't strike me as a dog person."

"I'm not anymore, thanks to Bobby."

I started to laugh, "Poor Bobby, we always blame him for everything."

"Everything?" he asked thoughtfully, "Like that day on the ice?"

I turned red. I couldn't believe he mentioned that. "No, that _was_ his fault," I said as evenly as I could.

"Oh." He seemed……….indifferent. "That's not what he said."

My eyes grew wide. "WHAT? He's lying, I swear, I wouldn't do that on purpose. I mean, if I liked you I wouldn't have—"

"If you liked me?" He took a step closer. Then another. "I get the impression that you already like me."

My jaw dropped. "Of all the arrogant things to say! I can't believe—" But I never got the chance to finish. He brought his face down to mine and kissed me. My knees buckled and Jack gently slipped his arms around my waist, holding me up. I couldn't believe all the emotions running through me; I was overjoyed yet terrified, I never wanted him to let go, and I wanted to run away. But then we pulled apart and I saw something in his eyes that I had never seen before………I didn't quite know what it was, but it made me stay, and it made me smile.

"Am I still arrogant?" he asked with a playful smirk.

I pursed my lips, "Yeah. But I kind of like that."

He laughed and kissed me again.

* * *

"Who are we going to tell first?" Jack and I were standing in the kitchen, cooking pasta to take over to Evelyn's. And yes, I decided to keep calling it that. Daniela was currently drawing in her room and Amelia was down for her nap.

Jack leaned against the counter and shrugged, "I guess Bobby—he's the one I'm closet to. Or we could all tell them together."

I shifted my weight from my right foot to the left, "I don't know if I'm comfortable doing that. It seems so……….."

"Showy?"

"I guess. Do you want to tell Bobby, or should we both do it?"

He looked at me incredulously. "We both are! Do you think he'd take me seriously if I told him? All I'd get out of him is a snappy one-liner and a new nickname."+

I laughed at that and hugged him around his middle, "Okay, we'll both tell him. And if he calls you names he has to think of one for me too."

I was only joking, and Jack knew it, but he put his arms around me and held me closer. I smiled as I buried my head into his chest; I could get used to this. He leaned down to kiss me when the phone rang.

I groaned and put it on speakerphone, "I hate you."

"You hate me, Mary? I'm stuck here with fuckin' La Vida Loca and you hate ME? She's drivin' me crazy—she's collecting food for the needy and giving away all our old clothes! Hey Sofi," he started yelling at her in the background, "Next time you give away your clothes, why don't you just stay in them?"

I sighed, "Bobby, just because you can't get into any woman's pants doesn't mean you can—"

"WHAT? You don't think I can get some? Wait 'till the snow clears up, sweetheart, they'll be running at me like there's no tomorrow!"

"Running at you, or away from you?" Jack cut in.

"Shuddap Tinkerbell," Bobby snapped, "…like you could do better than I could," he added as an afterthought.

"Already did," mumbled Jack into my hair. I grinned like an idiot.

"Listen Bobby," he reasoned, "dinner should be done by the time the snow clears, so just sit tight. And ask Jerry and Camille if they want to talk to the girls."

Bobby made a sound of annoyance, but handed the phone to Jerry. A few minutes later Daniela and Amelia had both come downstairs and were eagerly engaged in a conversation with their parents.

"I only got two peas stuck in my nose last night, mommy!" cried Amelia.

"That's………great, sweetheart."

"Aw, don't be damn liar," scowled Daniela, "it was three peas."

"Damn liar?" yelled Jerry, "What the hell are you teaching my kids Jack?"

* * *

I stole that line from LOST (I couldn't help it, it fit so well!)

A/N: I was just wondering if any of you would adopt? I think I would…….I don't know if I'd do it "Evelyn Mercer Style" and pick up a bunch of degenerates (I'm afraid I may do more damage than help), but I would definitely adopt kids, most likely from a foreign country. Thoughts, anyone? Please remember to review. Just press the little button and make me happy!


	8. Bobby On Marriage

Cynicalsarcasm: I'm glad you liked those lines; I was worried it might have been a weak way to end the chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

The Collision of Your Kiss: Yeah, I want to be "Mary" too…..haha, I don't like peas, so I can't add to that.

babe7878: Yay!; thanks for the review.

Bre: Oh, I'm blushing………

Zoe: Amen, sister friend! (Do you think that's something Bobby would say to Jack? I've been debating on that for a while now…………)

darkdestiney2000: Yeah, I'm only 17 so I'm not thinking about it too heavily yet either.

pirate-gurl15: Glad you like it!

Lovebuggy: Really? Thanks! What about it do you like? If you tell me, hopefully I'll be able to continuing writing it the way you like it.

ZoeinGreece: Yes, they finally kissed! Teehee, Aunt Lily….maybe I'll write a sequel. I've got a few plot lines started, but it'll be a while. My attention will shift from FB before the DVD comes out, but when it does, hopefully I'll requite my love for Jack and the boys.

Bre: Gee, it never crossed my mind that people would think I meant an old nanny…..I'll have to change the summary, I suppose….thanks for reviewing again! You're a sweetie!

Becky: Thanks, and here ya go!

* * *

Twenty minutes later enough snow had been cleared for Bobby drive over and seek refuge with us, though his arrival was unannounced. Jack and I were snuggled up on the couch watching a movie, while the girls were sitting on the floor.

"Hey, QueerEye, what are you doing with her?"

Jack and I jumped as Bobby hopped over the couch and sat down next to us. Jack groaned, "And here it comes………"

"We're cuddling, Bobby, are you blind?"

"Not blind, just very confused."

"We're a couple," Jack informed him, glaring at him as if daring Bobby to make a smart-ass comment.

Bobby just laughed, "It's about time," he muttered under his breath and winked at me. I couldn't help but smile at him—Bobby had had a key role in the formation of our relationship. Coincidently, I knew from that moment on I would never be allowed to get too mad at Bobby—he would most likely just flash me a knowing grin and tell me that I shouldn't yell at him; I should be thanking him. I supposed it never would have occurred to him that Jack and I eventually would have gotten together on our own.

"Hey girls," he suddenly called out, having just noticed them lying down on the rug, thoroughly engrossed in _Finding Nemo_. They simply continued to stare at the screen, though Amelia gave him a backward hand wave.

Bobby rolled his eyes, "Kids these days." He turned back to us, "You two better raise _your_ brats right."

I felt Jack shift uncomfortably, and although his gaze was fixed on the screen, I could tell he was listening for my answer. Not knowing what to say, I ignored the question and asked one of my own.

"You think about having kids, Bobby?"

Jack snorted, "Oh God, people like Bobby shouldn't be allowed to breed—unless it's for purely scientific purposes and his spawn are being study in a laboratory."

Bobby reached his arm behind me and smacked Jack's head while I unsuccessfully tried to stifle my laughter.

"Answer the question," I pleaded as he looked at me gloweringly.

"No." He said after a pause, " 'cause if I ever did it, I'd have to do it the right way. You know, marriage an all, and there isn't a woman on earth who can put up with me," he said it almost proudly. He went on, "In fact, here is my personal opinion on marriage: Married men live longer than single men. But married men are a lot more willing to die."

"Is Daddy going to die?" asked Amelia, wild eyed.

"Oh sure, that she hears," murmured Bobby. "No sweetheart, I was just kidding. You're daddy's fine."

She seemed satisfied enough with that answer. "Good."

Jack checked his watch. "Time to go." He picked up the remote and turned off the movie, ignoring the girls' protests. He walked over to the kitchen and grabbed the crock-pot, preparing it for the car ride over to Evelyn's. I gathered up all our coats and dressed the girls and myself. Unbeknownst to us, Bobby sat on the couch, watching our every move. Finally he let out a low whistle. "Jesus H. Christ. They're fuckin' married already."

* * *

I'm soooooooo sorry that this is so short and took such a long time. Since I haven't seen the movie in so long, I lost interest in it, so updates will not be too frequent—unless of course I get angry death threats by thosewho know where I live, which none of you do, so I feel safe. Don't worry, I'll probably update sooner or later though, I'm just warning you not to count on it being sooner than later. Ugh, does this even make sense? My head hurts……… 


	9. Author's Note & short story link

Hey everybody! I know in the last chapter I told you that my interests have strayed, and thought you might want to read some of my other stuff. I just wrote something brand new (like, 45 min. ago), but I can't get the link to work, so just go to my profile and click on the link that's on the very bottom. If that link doesn't work (I've been having trouble with it), then just put my name in the search engine. My newest work is a short story entitled, "He rides on"

Now, it'snot about any of the Four Brothers, per say, but I guess you could imagine Jack, Bobby, or maybe even Angel as the main character. I'm working on the next FB chapter, but it may be a slow process; College applications are interrupting my free time right now. Thanks so much for all the support you guys give me, I can't tell you how much all your reviews mean to me!


	10. Sofi

Sorry for the wait. Hope you like.

* * *

Asullen looking Angel greeted us at the door. His head was down, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets, his lower lip protruding in an act of defiance. "Sofi ain't talkin' to me," he muttered when he saw our puzzled expressions.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," Bobby advised him with a pat on the back as he walked into the house.

"What's the problem?" I inquired.

"She thinks I'm not spending enough time with her."

"Are you?" asked Jack.

Angel shrugged. "How the hell am I supposed to know? I could be stuck to her side for 23 out of 24 hours a day and she'd still say I hadn't spent the whole day with her."

"I'm sure you're exaggerating."

He shrugged again. "Anyways, she and Camille made the spaghetti sauce—you two got the pasta?"

"No, I'm carrying around an dish full of pasta for kicks," taunted Jack, whose expression of "how stupid can he be?" made me laugh. Angel just rolled his eyes and closed the door behind us.

"Hi Lily," Sofi greeted me with a hug, "You have to help me with Angel," she whispered in my ear. I just nodded, unsure of what I had just gotten myself into.

"Hey Sofi,"said Jack as he walked in behind me. "Can I put this down somewhere; its starting to get heavy."

Sofi motioned for him to put it on the counter.

"What's this I hear?" taunted Bobby, "Jackie-O ain't strong enough to carry a little pot? Ironic."

I looked up at Jack who was shooting daggers at Bobby with his eyes. Bobby coughed a bit before muttering a few curse words.

"Watch it, Bobby," scolded Camille as she and Jerry came downstairs, "I've got two girls that I intend to raise right."

"Aw, they'll be fine," muttered Angel. "They've got their Dad's drive; ain't nothing gonna stop them."

Jerry nodded in approval but one look from Camille turned his smile into a frown.

"Listen to Cami," he told Angel in a stern voice. Sofi and Camille exchanged weary glances.

"¿Por qué piensan ellos que ellos son más listos que nosotros?" growled Sofi, earning a dirty look from Bobby.

"We no spik Spanish in this house," he said gruffly, prompting Angel to smack him across the head. Jack took my hand and led me into the kitchen.

"Look, about what Bobby said earlier……I used to do that stuff, but not anymore, okay?"

I nodded my head slowly. I hated potheads. HATED them. But Jack…well, he was Jack…and he was clean. He cupped my face in his hands and forced me to look him in the eyes, a very dangerous thing to do.

"I believe you," I murmured. He kissed my nose and pulled back to make sure I was alright.

"Oh, I think I've interrupted something," said a low voice from the doorway. We turned to see Sofi grinning at us. Jack rolled his eyes and muttered something about finding Bobby. Sofi smacked him on the ass with a dishtowel as he left, prompting him to yelp and laugh at the same time.

"So………it's about time, no?" she said with a wink.

I shrugged and tried not to smile, "I haven't known him _that_ long."

She threw her hands up in the air, "Ah! What does that matter? I knew Angel was the one for me the minute I saw him. A pair of stilettos and a Victoria's secret bra later, I had him convinced of it too!"

We burst out laughing, and I couldn't help but wonder what the hell Bobby had against her. So why not ask? "Seriously, what's with the war you and Bobby have going?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's so childish—not my fault, of course." I nodded. "I met Bobby in High School and Angel started spending all his free time with me. Bobby didn't like it—Jerry was dating Cami, and Bobby was all alone—so he tried to break us up."

"I guess you got the last laugh, huh?"

Sofi shrugged, "I guess, but it gets so old."

I raised an eyebrow, "You want to make nice?"

She paused and pursed her lips. "Yes and no. I like annoying him—but it bothers Angel a lot more than he lets on. My man isn't too good with his emotions."

"Well, how are you going to start?"

Sofi looked surprised. "ME? I'm not taking the first step, he is!"

I sighed, realizing the plan she'd carved out for me. "Oh no, Sofi, what's my role in all of this?"

"He likes you, and he loves Jack, so whatever you two say to him—"

"No. Jack stays out of this." She paused once more, but this time she nodded approvingly, with just a hint of a smile.

"Okay………but you're in, right?"

"I guess so. Although I gotta say, I'm going to miss hearing the semi-hostile bantering you two have going on. We'll have to find someone else for you guys to make fun of."

She hugged me and left to find Angel. As I watched her go I couldn't help but feel that something was off…………..

* * *

I apologize if butchered the Spanish language—it's been a long time since Spanish class, and even then my grammar wasn't so great. 

I graduated high school everyone! Woohoo!


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